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sometimes do you ever just want to

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like monet would have loved

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The Muxes of Juchitán 

Juchitán is a town in the southeast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The town which is largely inhabited by the Zapotec Indigenous people, has not only preserved it’s precolonial language and culture, but has also retained gender identities and roles that transcend the traditional western ones. Those which were subjected onto much of the rest of Mexican society by European colonizers. 

This contrasting expression of gender that survives among the Zapotec and Mestizo communities of southern Oaxaca, takes its form in the concept of the muxe. Muxe is a term used to refer to those assigned male at birth, but who identify either as women or as a distinct third-gender. They are an intrinsic part of Zapotec society, and highly respected for the roles they play in families, such as taking care of their elderly parents when their siblings have moved out of the household. Despite the acceptance of them in many rural areas, they face discrimination in more urban areas, mainly by non-Indigenous people who have inherited the Spanish cultural attitude of machismo. 

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The Pollera and Somberero Pintado: Symbols of Panamanian Culture

La Pollera

Refers to the traditional costume of Panama worn by women consisting of a skirt and a blouse. Its origins are that of Spanish clothing worn by peasant women in the seventeenth century. The most iconic pollera is that of the pollera de gala; its development began when upper-class Spanish women started settling in the Americas. Since their lavish clothing was unsuitable for the tropical climate, they would appropriate the dress of their [Spanish] servants. However to make them appear more luxurious they would decorate the garments with lavish embroidery and lace. This type of pollera was eventually adopted to the white criollo and mestizo population; and to this day is seen as a national symbol of Panama. Traditionally a woman owns two polleras in her life; one during childhood and the other when she becomes an adult. Typically polleras de gala are handmade of white linen and embroidered with colorful patterns such as flowers and fruit. However, there are many different variations of polleras outside of the pollera de gala, and differences base on region. Another common type of the pollera is that of the pollera congo, with its origins among the Afro-Colonial population of Colón. The most common style of the pollera congo is a colorful patchwork one made by the use old fabrics, and it reflects the polleras worn by African women during the days of slavery. A woman who wears a pollera is referred to as an empollerada.

Polleras are usually accompanied by jewelry and accessories. The most common ones are the peinetas and tembleques. Peinetas are golden tortoise-shaped combs that surround the head like a halo, while tembleques are ornaments made of wire, pearls, or crystals; attached to the peinetas. These two accessories are often passed down by families as heirlooms.

El Sombrero Pintado

Is a traditional Panamanian hat most commonly worn by men, but occasionally by women as well. Recognized by its distinctive pattern of white and black rings, its origins are in the province of Coclé, however these days its seen as a national icon similar to pollera de gala. It is handwoven using the fibers of plants bleached in the sun; the rings that are black are made by using an Indigenous method of boiling fibers with chisná bush leafs, which cause a natural black dye. The cost of a hat is based on the number of rings, and hats with more than twenty rings can take up to a month to make. 

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Sanrio: Pompompurin:)

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We Have Become Spoiled

I told my boyfriends mom that my dream is to live in an RV (Small class C RV) and travel. My boyfriend has warmed up to the idea these past few months and so we have been doing some planning as to how we are gonna make this happen.

It probably won’t be a reality for another year or 1 because we have a bunch of things in our lives that we have to get straightened out first but it’s something that we are planning to do in the near future.

Why am I telling you this? Well when we told his mom and the rest of his family this they started talking about how we’d be without and we wouldn’t be happy because we wouldn’t have a house and our own land and blah blah blah. They started going on and on about how we have worked so hard and don’t we want a big house and fancy cars and all this shit we don’t need. As if those things determine our self worth.

Us as humans have become spoiled and rotten. Big houses, fancy cars and a bunch of shit is now more important to us than making memories and exploring out world. 

If you want to have to pay $1,000 - $2,500 a month for a house for the next 25 years than by all means do that. If to you a fancy $300,000 car than you go get that car. I have worked hard my whole life to be happy and my happiness isn’t something i can buy from a car dealership and I should be able to reward myself for all my hard work the way I want. not the way others want.

She said she wants more for her son, a house, a family and nice things. And all we see when we hear that is bills, bills, bills. 

I don’t know where I’m going with this, just don’t think people are without because they choose to live a minimalist lifestyle or because they don’t have a bunch of useless shit. 

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This is my homeless friend, Sean. My children and I have known him for several years and taken him food, clothes, and blankets. Sean is Special Needs. He can’tread or write and sounds like an 8 year old child when he talks. He recently told me that he is here because he got lost and can’t find his way home. He was on a Greyhound Bus to visit someone and got on the wrong bus at a rest stop. He’s been lost ever since. He thinks he’s from Springfield, Missouri. Someone has to be looking for him. He’s such a harmless, gentle soul. Please pray for him.

if anyone has seen this brother of our’s please message and let her know where you might have seen him https://www.facebook.com/trisha.hippselsharkawy

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It was so quiet when I took this. It’s also why I keep coming back here when I can. My family just calls it ‘the farm’ I call it my other home. When California gets too loud, when Nashville feels to closed in, I get in the car and go north. Muncie ,Indiana may not be much to most but it’s what has made me and that’s something.

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Liked by Americans:

Mexican themed attractions

Mexican cartoon characters

Mexican drinks

Mexican memorabilia

Mexican clothes

Mexican decor

Stuff they think is Mexican food

Actual Mexican food

Mexican holidays

Disliked by Americans:

Mexicans

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so i’ve been taking photos for quite some time now but this

is quite possibly

my fAVORITE PICTURE EVER